If you have something to say, say it
by Rose Ruru
Summary: A hot and humid night, broken air conditioning, and a sweet, short conversation.


Disclaimers: Not mine, never. I'd really love to keep Eric, though…

_***_

_Wrote this during middle of work—not a good idea, things get mixed up easily.___

_Okies__, this is my first try at a CSI: Miami story, but wouldn't mind if you decide that either the story truly sucks or that you hate Eric/Calleigh pairing and want to slap me in the __face. __But nonetheless… good reviews and constructive criticism are ALWAYS welcome._

***

"Hey Calleigh!" Eric Delko yelled at his co-worker's back as the blonde woman walked down the corridor swiftly, her long hair swinging behind her. "Wait up!"

He sighed out of relief as the ballistics specialist stopped at his loud request. He hurried over and apologized, "Sorry about the yelling,"

"No big deal," Calleigh smiled, and then commented, "Sometimes it's the most efficient way to get people's attention. So," she paused and studied her colleague's face. "What are you up to?"

Eric looked at her with a hopeful expression. "Listen, can I stay at your place tonight?"

"Why?" she asked, and Eric's face immediately turned into a deep shade of crimson. She smiled and patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I guess I wouldn't want to go home either if H had stirred up my neighborhood."

He stared at her, his eyes glittering with hope. "Is that a 'yes?'"

"I'll have to think about it," Calleigh replied, and slid past a lab door.

Disappointed but refusing to give up hope just yet, Eric follower her into the room, where he watched her busying herself with a microscope. "What about Speed's place?" She asked as she hovered over the eyepiece. "He probably wouldn't mind."

"You're wrong on that one," Eric informed her gloomily, his eyes fixed on his friend. "I asked him already and he slammed the door on me. Said that a guy's apartment is where his privacy lives and intrusion is not welcomed at all time."

"Hmm." Calleigh mumbled, and Eric knew that it wasn't directed at his comment but instead, whatever she was working on. "Anything good?" he asked.

"Yep. These two bullet are a match," she said, scribbling down something on a note pad. "Definitely fired from the same gun." And then she got up and walked past him back into the corridor.

Still not giving up, Eric straightened up from his leaning position against the wall and followed her. She didn't seem to mind that he was trailing behind her like a lost puppy.

"So Tim refuses to let you stay at his place," she commented, slowing down so he could catch up with her.

"So you were listening to me?"

"Hey, I wasn't wearing earplugs, was I?" she said teasingly. "Well, if Tim's out of the question, how about…"

Horror-stricken, Eric stared at his friend, his jaws dropped open like a cave. "No! Not in a million years!"

"C'mon, after all Horatio's the one who's responsible for stirring up your neighborhood, was he not? Maybe you can override his pride with guilt…"

When Eric did not reply, Calleigh turned to look at him. One glance at his expression made her giggling like mad. Eric looked embarrassed.

"Not in a million years," he repeated sternly as Calleigh tried to gain control over her breathing.

"Okay, so H's place is out of question too… and that leaves just me."

"Yes," he looked at her pleadingly, and smiled as charmingly as he could manage. "Please?"

Calleigh looked at him with calculating eyes, and he added hurriedly, "I'll just stay on the couch--won't break anything, won't take anything. Promise!"

She stared at him until she was finally satisfied. "Alright, stay on the couch, no trying to scare me in the middle of the night, and no snoring." She said, her eyes still fixed on his. "And stop staring at me with puppy dog eyes."

"I _did not _stare with puppy dog eyes," he complained, but stopped when Calleigh shot him a look which basically said, _do you want a place to spend the night or not?_

***

"What the…?"

Calleigh sat up straight in her bed. The air was hot and humid, hanging there like a thick curtain. The air conditioning wasn't working again, she assumed.

But that wasn't what she woke up to; someone was knocking at the bedroom door, and the knocker was evidently persistent. Frustrated, she threw back the blanket, walked over to the door and flung it open. "I thought that part of the deal was no attempting to scare me in the middle of the night," she said.

Eric stood in the doorway, looking sheepishly at her. "Calleigh… your air conditioning is not working."

She pointed at her forehead, on which beads of sweat were starting to stream down. "I've noticed that."

He nodded, unsure what to say next. "Ah… well, sorry to bother you. Now I'll just… go back to the couch."

"And try to sleep through this heat? I think not." Calleigh's voice softened as she stepped out of her room and joined her roommate for the night on the couch. She figured that she would have woken up sooner or later, with the air conditioning off and her bedroom functioning like an oven.

Eric nodded and leaned back against the couch. "So what do we do now?"

Calleigh shrugged. "We wait and hope that the air conditioning would work again." She paused, and then added, "And then we wait some more."

"Sounds like a plan."

And then there was silence. He stared up at the ceiling fan and she glanced at the air conditioner, silently willing it to work. When her attempts turned out to be unsuccessful, she turned and said to Eric, "Bet you're wishing that you're at your house, where the air conditioning is functioning properly."

He smiled, revealing two rows of white teeth that were usually only seen on toothpaste commercials. "Who knows… maybe AC isn't working over there. And…"

"And?" she pursued, curiosity starting to take over her.

He paused and thought for a moment, and then said, "And I'm glad to be here. With you."

"Gees thanks," she said teasingly, "What compliment." He blushed, and she laughed, saying, "You sure blush easily, Eric."

"Huh? Is it really that easy to see?" he joked, touching his face testily with one finger, which made Calleigh laugh again. "I mean, really."

"Yes Eric, it is easy to see that you're blushing. Don't think your chocolate skin can do much to hide that."

He shrugged. "I guess it runs in the family."

"Yeah right," she said, punching him playfully on the shoulder. "So there's a gene for easily blushing too?"

"Who knows," he replied, blocking her hand. "These days you can almost blame everything on genes."

"Hmm. But you can't blame the air conditioner for its genes," she added, and looked at the air conditioner again; it still refused to work. "Why couldn't it pick another night when it's cooler?" she said resentfully.

Eric didn't answer her question; he had decided to get the topic of conversation away from the damned air conditioning. "Hey Calleigh," he said, hoping to get her attention.

"Yeah?" she answered blankly, but at least she was looking at him now.

"You know, we've never talked like this--outside our shift, I mean."

"Yeah you're right," she agreed. "We just go on with our separate lives, you know--never really caring about what everyone else is doing."

"Yeah that's true. And I'm enjoying this, us just talking, by the way."

"You know what Eric?" she smiled at him, squeezing his hand gently. "I'm enjoying it too. Very much, in fact."

"Really? Well…" he was silent for a moment, his expression thoughtful. Finally he looked up and said shyly, "Hey Cal… I was wondering…"

She glanced at him, trying to read his expression. "Yeah?"

Silence.

"Eric, if you have something to say, say it."

Eric shook his head, took in a deep breath, and blurted, "Would you like to go somewhere this weekend? I mean, we could go to a movie… or something like that…" his voice faltered, and he left the sentence hung in the air without a definite finish to it.

She smiled, placed a hand on his shoulder, and squeezed it lightly. "I'd love to; that sounds good."

Eric's face suddenly brightened. "Really?"

"Really," she smiled, and as if for emphasis, she repeated, "really."

And just then the air conditioner started its routine sound of whirring, startling both of them.

Calleigh stood up and hugged herself. "Well, I guess it's back to bed…" she glanced at the clock on the wall and added, "Still got four more hours before alarm clock goes off… well Eric, better catch some sleep, just in case caffeine doesn't work in the morning."

He smiled and nodded, propping up the pillow against the couch's armrest. "Okay then Cal. Sweet dreams."

She stopped at her doorway, turned and nodded at him, smiling. "Sweet dreams to you too, Eric."

THE END

***

_Yes, fluffs… that's just so… like me._

_Well, lunch break's over. Back to work for me, read and review for you_


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